Safety latch



Aprll 22, 13141. H EAYER 2,233,963

SAFETY LATCH Filed March 10, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l VENTOR TTORNE 5 H.BAYER SAFETY LATCH April 22, 1941.

Filed March 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. I g D A W fl/ WE wwww 552 12:1: 5 m

ATTO R N EYS Patented Apr. 22, 1941 SAFETY LATCH Harry Bayer, ValleyStream, N. Y., assignor to New York Silicate Book Slate Co. Inc., NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 10, 1939,Serial No. 250,923

2 Claims.

This invention relates to safety latches for vertically movable unitssuch, for example, as doors, windows, partitions and the like.

In some school buildings, wardrobes are provided with vertically slidingcounterweighted doors on the outer face of which are supportedblackboards or other similar school equipment. During school hours, thedoors are in lowered position to render the blackboards and otherequipment accessible and are raised whenever it is desired to haveaccess to the wardrobes. It is apparent that there must be provision forpreventing the doors dropping by gravity in the event of failure of thecounterweight.

An object of this invention is the provision for vertically slidingcounterweighted units of latch means which will effectively preventdownward movement of such units under the influence of gravity in theevent that the balancing effect of the counterweight is in any waydestroyed.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention willbecome apparent from the following specification and accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a school wardrobe having verticallysliding counterweight doors equipped with latches embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged section substantially on the line 2-2of Fig, 1, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary large-scale elevation.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, one wall of a school room isprovided with a wardrobe constituting a recess in such wall and closedover its upper portion by a fixed partition and over its lower partitionby a vertically slidable partition on which is mounted a blackboard orother suitable equipment, said slidable partition constituting the doorfor the wardrobe. The wardrobe may be equipped with one or more doorsdepending upon-its size, but in the present drawings only two doors areshown.

At each end of the wardrobe is arranged a length of vertical steeltubing I0 and a similar length of tubing II is arranged midway betweenthe other two. To the inner face of each tubing I0 is connected a guidebar I2 having ratchet teeth l3 formed in the upper half thereof. Twosimilar guide bars l2 are connected to the tubing ll. Between each pairof guide bars [2 is arranged a partition section or door 14 provided ateach end with a channel member in each of ill which is received a guidebar I2. Stops l6 are provided at the lower ends of the guide bars l2 forengagement by the bottom end of the doors to limit the extent ofdownward movement thereof.

In each upper corner of each door is provided a housing I! forming anintegral part of the door. In each housing is provided a pivoted latchmember I8 having a portion I9 constituting a pawl and a portionconstituting an actuating weight for the pawl. The member I8 ispivotally supported by the pin 2| and the housing H, together with thechannel member [5, is provided with an aperture through which the pawl19 may swing into engagement with the ratchet teeth l3 to preventdownward movement of the door.

A link 22 is attached to the member I8 at such point that upward pull onthe link swings the member 8 to disengage the pawl Hi from the ratchetteeth l3. From the link 22, a cable 23 extends upwardly and over pulleys24 and 25 and is attached to a counterweight 21. A housing 28 isprovided for enclosing and guiding the counterweight 21 and is providedat its bottom end with a shock-absorbing spring 29 for engagement by theweight 21. Normally, the pull of the counterweight exerted through thecable 23 and link 22 on the member I 8 holds it in the full lineposition shown in Fig. 5, with the upper wall of the casing in acting asa stop to limit rotation of the member I8 under the influence of thecounterweight. A spring 30 exerts tension on the member l8 tending todraw it into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5.

The door or partition I4 is provided at its outer surface with ablackboard 3| and with a chalk trough 32 which may be also used as ahandle for raising and lowering the partition. The weight of theblackboard, together with the weight of the door, makes it essentialthat positive acting latch means be provided for preventing dropping ofthe door M in the event that the cable 23 should break and release thedoor from the counterweight. The member l8 satisfies this requirement.

Normally, the member I8 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig.5, it being held in such position by the counterweight 28. The member i8remains in this position irrespective of upward and downward movement ofthe door so long as the cable 23 remains intact and in such position thepawl I9 is contained within the housing l1. However, in the event thatthe cable 23 breaks, the member I8 is immediately released to be swungby the gravitational effect of th weighted portion 20 into position toproject the V pawl l9 into engagement with the ratchet teeth l5, therebypreventing downward movement of the door M under the influence ofgravity. The spring 39 assists in swinging the member l3 into latchingposition, but is not absolutely essential. However, in order to makeabsolutely certain the operation of the latch member in the event ofbreakage of the cable 23, it is preferred to utilize the spring 30.

Within the wardrobe are provided brackets 33 which may be made of suchshape as to provide a shelf. A clothes rack or the like 34 is supportedby the brackets 23.

I claim:

1. In a wardrobe, a vertically slidable door, a guide for each verticaledge of the door having ratchet teeth, a housing at each upper corner ofthe door having a top aperture and a side aperture adjacent a guide, aratchet member in each housing pivotally supported on a horizontal axisnear the upper outer corner of said housing, a projection on said memberadapted to extend through said side wall aperture into engagement withsaid ratchet teeth, said member having a body portion extendingsubstantially the full width of said housing and constituting gravitymeans for swinging said member to locate said projection in position toengage said ratchet teeth, a link extending through said top apertureand connected at its inner end to the body portion of said latch member,and a cable attached to the remaining end of said link, said latchmember having its body portion engageable with the top of said housingto transmit pull from said cable to said door.

2. In a wardrobe, a vertically slidable door, a guide for each verticaledge of the door having ratchet teeth, a housing at each upper corner ofthe door having a top aperture and a side aperture adjacent a guide, aratchet member in each housing pivotally supported on a horizontal axisnear the upper outer corner of said housing, a projection on said memberadapted to extend through said side wall aperture into engagement withsaid ratchet teeth, said member having a body portion extendingsubstantially the full width of said housing and constituting gravitymeans for swinging said member to locate said projection in position toengage said ratchet teeth, resilient means tending to swing said memberinto position to engage said projection with said ratchet teeth, a linkextending through said top aperture, and connected at its inner end tothe body portion of said latch member, and a cable attached to theremaining end of said link, said latch member having its body portionengageable with the top of said housing to transmit pull from said cableto said door.

I HARRY BAYER.

